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A climatic evaluation of the southern dispersal route
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  • Samuel L Nicholson,
  • Rob Hosfield,
  • Huw S Groucutt,
  • Alistair W G Pike,
  • Stephen J Burns,
  • Albert Matter,
  • Dominik Fleitmann
Samuel L Nicholson
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6LA, United Kingdom, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6LA, United Kingdom

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Rob Hosfield
Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AB, United Kingdom, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AB, United Kingdom
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Huw S Groucutt
Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Jena, Germany, Extreme Events Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Jena, Germany
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Alistair W G Pike
Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BF, United Kingdom, Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BF, United Kingdom
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Stephen J Burns
Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, MA 01003-9297, United States of America, Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, MA 01003-9297, United States of America
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Albert Matter
University of Bern, University of Bern
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Dominik Fleitmann
Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AB, United Kingdom, Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AB, United Kingdom
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Abstract

Homo sapiens dispersals out of Africa are often linked to intensifications of the African Summer Monsoon and Indian Summer Monsoon. Current dispersal models advocate that dispersals along the “southern-route” into Arabia occurred during Glacial Termination-II (T-II), when reduced sea-level and Bab-al-Mandab width increased the likelihood of crossing. The precise phasing between sea-level and monsoon precipitation is thus key to assess the likelihood of a successful crossing or the behavioural and technological capacities that facilitated crossing. Based on a precisely-dated stalagmite record from Yemen we reveal a distinct phase-lag of several thousand years between sea-level rise and monsoon intensification. Pluvial conditions in Southern Arabia during MIS 5e lasted from ~127.7 to ~121.1 ka BP and occurred when sea-levels were already higher than at present. Based on our observations, we propose three models for the dispersal of H. sapiens which all have pertinent implications for our understanding of human technological and behavioural capacities during MIS 5e.